After 23 years of safe climbing, citizens of Hawaii have been wrongfully stripped their right to engage in recreational rock climbing throughout Hawaii.

Letter to

senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov

senkouchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov

and 24 others

senruderman@capitol.hawaii.gov

senshimabukuro@capitol.hawaii.gov

senslom@capitol.hawaii.gov

sensolomon@capitol.hawaii.gov

sentaniguchi@capitol.hawaii.gov

senthielen@capitol.hawaii.gov

sentokuda@capitol.hawaii.gov

senwakai@capitol.hawaii.gov

reprhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov

senkim@Capitol.hawaii.gov

senkidani@capitol.hawaii.gov

senkeithagaran@capitol.hawaii.gov

senchunoakland@capitol.hawaii.gov

sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov

senenglish@capitol.hawaii.gov

senespero@capitol.hawaii.gov

sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov

sengaluteria@capitol.hawaii.gov

sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov

senhee@capitol.hawaii.gov

sendige@capitol.hawaii.gov

senihara@capitol.hawaii.gov

senkahele@capitol.hawaii.gov

dlnr@hawaii.gov

I am one of a thousand rock climbers who live in Hawaii, and I am asking you to vote in SUPPORT of SB1168. SB1168 has made its way through the committee process, and it is pending a full-floor senate vote.

Without SB1168, numerous recreational lands will remain closed to rock climbing. After 23 years of safe climbing, the DLNR acted to close a number of lands because of a single injury. The DLNR claims that it is insufficiently protected from liability, and therefore the only way to shield itself from liability is through land closures. This bill will provide the State with the liability mitigation needed to enable Hawaii residents and visitors to exercise their right to use recreational lands for recreational functions, such as rock climbing.

The State designed this bill to coincide with, but not replace, Act 82. Act 82 is a tort liability provision that provides limited liability protection to the State for dangerous natural conditions. However, Act 82 does not provide sufficient liability protection for rock climbing because rock climbing involves both natural and synthetic dangerous conditions. For example, if a rock climber were to dislodge a rock onto a spectator, the climber-induced falling rock would not qualify as a natural danger, and therefore Act 82 would not protect the State for the incident. The State specifically designed SB1168 to provide the protection the State requires for the synthetic dangerous conditions involved in rock climbing.

In addition to the signatures provided by this petition, Hawaii’s rock climbers have gathered an additional 1,700 signatures in support of increased liability protection.

As a concerned Hawaii voter, I deeply ask for your assistance in moving this bill forward through the senate.